Oropharyngeal Cancer Symptoms and Treatment

Oropharyngeal cancercan causeone or
moreof the following symptoms; the severity of the symptoms tend to vary from one
patient to another:

•Painin the
ears

•Changeofthevoice•Difficulty or painful
swallowing

•Irritationof the
throat

•Bad breath, which can be
controlled

•Presenceof a
lump inthe throat;•lumps or
massesin the
neck

• Unexplained weight loss,
which often associated with lack of appetite.

Oropharyngeal
CancerDiagnosisBefore considering an appropriate treatment, a clear diagnosis of
the cancer needs to be established. This is a MUST. All health
professionals will do some tests to checkthe degree to whichthe tumor has spread. Thesetests may includecomputed tomographyor
MRI(magnetic resonanceimaging).These procedures allow professionals totakedetailedpictures of the insideof the
body andpinpoint the cancer.

Ifthe oncologist
suspects the presenceof anoropharyngeal
cancer,he will
conducta full examinationof the headand neck. He will exam the mouth, neck andthroat, looking for bumps or any other anomalies.
Certain health care providers can also usea specialcamera to takepictures of the insideof
the throat.

But to accurately confirm
anoropharyngeal cancerdiagnosis,the diagnostic procedure commonly usedis a
biopsy. A small sample oftissue is
takenout ofthe regionbelieved
to be affected by the tumor to be carefully examinedunder
a microscope. The result will assure the Physicianthe
presenceofcancer cells in theoropharynx tissue.

Oropharyngeal
Cancer Stages

Oropharyngeal
cancerstages are
classified using a method of classifying the tumor according to its size anddegree
of spreadfrom its original location.Theclassification usually ranges from stage 1 to 4. In general,the higher the numbercorresponding to thestage, the greater the size of thecancer isimportant andit has spreadin the
body.For example, astage
1cancerisrelativelysmallandhas notspreadfar fromthe point of origin.
A stage 4oropharyngeal cancer is, however,large andhas
spreadfar fromits point of origin

Oropharyngeal CancerTreatmentOropharyngealcancer treatment is also similar to other malignancies of head and neck. Most cancersare treated with surgery,radiotherapy(radiation therapy) or chemotherapy, or byacombinationofthesethreemethods.Aseach patientand each caseis unique, there is no unique mode of treatment. The oncologist,
usually with other professionals, will prescribethe
treatmentor combinationof treatments thatbest suits the patient. In general,
oropharyngeal cancer treatment depends on
thestage or the severity of the tumor, as well as the health status andmedical history of the patient.

OropharyngealCancer Surgery– the surgical
removal of the tumor is often considered. The seriousnessof the
surgery andthe amount oftissue removeddepends on thestage of the cancer, the nature of the affectedinternal structuresand
variousother factors such as the generalhealth status of the patient.Surgery is usuallyvery effective.However,itis often followed byotherforms of
therapyaimed at ensuringthatall
the cancer cellshave been eliminated.

Side Effects of the
Surgery

Whilesurgeons usually perform surgery toremovetumorsof the oropharynx, surgery may affect the
ability of the patient tochew, swallowor speak.
Aswellingof theneck or facemay occur.Numbnessof the face,resulting from damage tonerves,isanotherpossible side effect of
the surgery

Oropharyngeal Cancer Radiotherapy – Oropharyngealcancer treatment can include radiation therapyafter the surgery in order tokill the cancer cellsthat could notbe removedby
surgery. Most doctors use concentratedrays to killcancer cells, preserving the largest possiblenumber ofhealthy cells. The radiation therapy is usually administeredseveral times a weekfor a few
weeks, depending on the stageof thecancer being treated.

Side Effects of the Radiation
Therapy

Although radiation
therapyis in
no waypainful, the fact that the radiation beamsalso
killhealthy cellsaround the tumor, it can cause sideeffectsafter the treatment. The
mostcommon radiation side effects in oropharyngealcancer
treatment include:

•Dry eyes

•Increased risk of bad
breath

•Dry mouthand a
feeling ofthicksaliva

•Hair
loss: radiotherapy to the head sometimes causeshair
loss

•Fatigue: many
patientswill feelextremelytiredbecause of thetreatment•Loss of
appetite: radiotherapy, as the other cancer therapies, cancauseloss of appetite, although at that time it is very important for
the patient to eat well and regularly•Skin
problems: skinmay lookred,have the
appearance ofa sunburnorprovide
a feelingof irritation.These symptoms will
disappear at the endof treatment but the patient needs to avoid
direct sun exposure.

In addition, these anti-cancer drugs damage the bone marrow,where blood cellsare produced, thus affecting the functioning of the
blood negatively.This reducesthe number of cellsin the blood andcan cause sideeffects. Common
chemotherapy side effects related to blood include:

•Higher riskof
infection

•Bruising

•Bleedingfor
minorscratches

•Shortness of
breath

•Tiredness

•Feeling of
weakness.

Most of theseside effectswill disappear at
theend of treatment, and can be controlled (during the therapy) with an appropriate
diet. A plant based diet rich in fresh juice made of non-GMO cruciferous vegetables or/and fruit s can
really make a big difference. For complete information, visit chemotherapy
side effects.